Interleukin-1 (hereinafter referred to simply as IL-1) is a protein produced from macrophages, neutrocytes and the like and is a central factor of inflammation and immune systems. Its relation with autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases, typical of which is chronic articular rheumatism, is being clarified.
Especially, according to the recent report, it has been found that IL-1 is detected in rheumatoid chronica, particularly in the synovial fluid of chronic articular rhumatics, and the lymph cell emigration factor consists chiefly in IL-1 and that the peripheral hemomonocyte of rhumatics in activity is promoted in the IL-1 productivity.
We attempted to mainly suppress the production of IL-1 so that the autoimmune diseases, such as chronic articular rheumatism, and diseases such as inflammatory diseases were cured and prevented.
The chronic articular rheumatism is a chronic inflammatory disease whose cause is unknown. For medicinal therapy, non-steroid, antiphlogistic drugs have been used and their utility is not satisfactory in respect of the curing and side effects.
We have made extensive studies on compounds having the IL-1 production inhibiting action over a long period of time and found that naphthalene derivatives are excellent in the action.
Naphthalene derivatives are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 61-263943, as having the 5-lipoxigenase inhibiting action.